Your Right to Know

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service has canceled a plan to end Saturday letter delivery this summer, conceding yesterday that Congress had won a recent legal bout over the agency’s attempt to cut costs.

The USPS had announced in February that letter delivery would drop to five days starting on Aug. 5. However, Congress responded by adding a rider on a spending bill mandating Saturday delivery. The Postal Service’s Board of Governors reviewed Congress’ decision and determined that Congress had the authority to make it, it said in a news release yesterday.

“Although disappointed with this Congressional action, the Board will follow the law,” the USPS said.

The Postal Service had intended to cut $2 billion a year from its budget with the service reduction, which would have ended Saturday letter delivery but retained package delivery, on which it makes money.Last year, the agency lost nearly $16 billion even as it pleaded with Congress to pass reforms that would improve its fiscal health. Congress didn’t pass a bill, spurring the agency’s decision to drop to five-day delivery.

The announcement followed a back-and-forth between the agency and Congress over whether the agency’s decision to reduce service was legal in the first place in light of long-standing legislation that mandates Saturday delivery. The legal question revolved around whether the USPS would meet the requirement by continuing package delivery but not letter delivery.Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, agreed yesterday that the USPS needs reform.

“Even though today’s decision by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors delays its controversial proposal, the urgent need for the administration and Congress to work together to save the Postal Service by making hard decisions and tackling controversial issues like Saturday delivery remains,” Carper said in a news release.

The National Association of Letter Carriers applauded the agency’s announcement yesterday.